Kalambaka, Greece
Meteora
Six surviving monasteries balanced on sandstone pillars three hundred metres above the plain of Thessaly.
Biblical significance
Hermits occupied the caves in these rock towers from the eleventh century; the monasteries were built from the fourteenth, accessible only by rope ladders and nets hauled up by windlass. The ropes, monks said, were replaced only when the Lord let them break. Twenty-four monasteries once stood here; six remain active. The frescoes at Great Meteoron and Varlaam are outstanding Cretan-school work.
Scripture
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Best time to go
Spring and autumn; winter mist is beautiful but hides everything.
Visitor notes
Each monastery has its own opening days. Skirts required for women, long trousers for men — wraps provided.
Coordinates
39.7217, 21.6306
On the map
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